ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) -Mayor Tim Keller and Albuquerque city officials announced during a news conference on Thursday that the city will continue to provide youth programming into the school year to assist working parents as students transition to a hybrid learning style.

Things parents should know

  • Lottery for the School Year Program will run from August 4 through August 14
  • The community center and multigenerational center school year youth program is scheduled to start on August 24
  • Lottery registration is free, if chosen, there will be a $5 program registration fee
  • All program dates and plans are subject to change
  • Parents can register their children for programming online and additional information can be found at yc.cabq.gov.
  • Family and Community Services, which oversees all of the City’s community centers, will be offering full-day education and recreation programs at 22 locations from 7:30am-5:30pm every weekday. Programs include lunch and a supper meal
  • Parks and Recreation is offering programs in City parks and open space areas, including outdoor field school, explorer camp, tennis lessons, and private swimming lessons. (Scroll down the page to see additional information)

Youth programs

The City of Albuquerque announced that they will be continuing their summer programs and aim to continue them through the fall to help accommodate students during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes full-time and all-day programming for children. The city will be utilizing as many community centers as they can in addition to Open Space and cultural services buildings and facilities.

In July, Albuquerque Public Schools announced the virtual school year would begin for all grades on August 12. In-person learning is scheduled to begin on September 8 with a hybrid model with two groups of students rotating with on and off weeks at school which makes it difficult for working parents to watch their children and to monitor their at-home schoolwork.

“We cannot keep the economy open, we cannot provide the kind of workforce that our city needs without providing somewhere for kids to go,” said Mayor Keller.

The city will use a lottery system similar to the one used during the summer to determine the availability of the programs. It will also be based on the number of those who sign up to participate in the programs.

The school year program lottery registration is now open and will remain open until August 14. Parents can register their children for programming at city community centers and multigenerational centers online and additional programming information can be found at yc.cabq.gov.

Families who sign up for the lottery program will receive a notification to register on August 17 and will have until August 21 to register for all-day programs at senior, multi-generational centers, and community centers.

All day programming will run from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and will include lunch and supper. The city is working with APS to include an educational component in order to assist with working parents.

The city will continue to use COVID-safe practices during these programs such as wellness checks before entering facilities, a face mask requirement, and social distancing.

In addition to youth programs, city officials reminded Albuquerque residents that the BioPark zoo will be reopening at limited capacity first to BioPark Society members on August 7 and then to the general public on August 12. The Botanic Garden has also announced summer hours.

At the end of August details will be released on additional programming for teens which will include opportunities at the BioPark, city libraries, the Albuquerque Museum as well as internships. Virtual content is also available through the city’s One Albuquerque media YouTube channel in addition to virtual tours and an educational podcast provided by the Albuquerque Museum.

The City of Albuquerque hopes to fund the youth programs through a partnership with APS and Bernalillo County in addition to CARES funds.

The number of sites and spaces will be determined by demand. Families selected through the lottery will receive a notification to register on August 17. They then have until August 21 to register.

Additional fall programming

Saturday Explorer Camp: Led by Open Space educators for kids ages 6-10 to explore nature and the great outdoors at the Open Space Visitor Center located at 6500 Coors Blvd. Campers meet on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon and run from August 8 to August 29. Programs have a different theme each week and cost $10 each Saturday.

Outdoor Field School: Led by Open Space educators this camp is for children ages 9-12 and meets on Thursdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. until noon at the Open Space Visitor Center. The program costs $20 for a Thursday and Friday session and with the program running from September through November

Tennis: Fall lessons will continue for ages 5-14 and will take place at Jerry Cline Recreation & Tennis Center and Sierra Vista Tennis Facility. Not all age and skill levels are available during each time slot but the city will try to provide as much programming as possible. Two-week sessions run from September 12 through October 31.

Private parent/child swimming lessons: Instructors give one-on-one guidance to parents available at West Mesa Aquatic Center, Valley Pool, Los Altos Pool, and Betsy Patterson Pool at Sandia High School. Lessons will be offered September through November.

Cultural Services Department is also offering programming at Explora for teens. There will be Single-day, weeklong, and semester long programs at Explora. There will also be teen programs at BioPark, pubic libraries, museums, and internships. The Cultural Services Department has not release the dates and times when the programs will start.

Additional information on all available programs can be found at yc.cabq.gov.